You have a sign for every planet. The zodiac sign that the planet was in when you are born is you sign for that planet. So if the sun was in Tuarus when you were born, then your sun sign is taurus. If Mars was in Leo, then Leo is your Mars sign. When you look in the paper and it lists the astrology dates that we are all used to, it is refering to your sun sign. Your Ascendant(or first house) is the sign that is on the horizon the moment you are born.
In astrology there are three signs that have the most effect on you.
(Horendously oversimplified)
The three most important are:
-You sun sign: The Sun tells us of the actual core of a person, the inner self, of that which is of central concern. It also shows us the general vitality and the ability to assert oneself, it describes a general tone of being which colors everything else.
-Your moon sign: The Moon represents our feelings and emotions, the receptivity, imagination and basic feeling tone of a person. It also has an effect on the sense of rhythm, time and timing, it influences our adaptability to change, our mobility and versatility.
-Your ascendant: The ascendant tells us a lot about someone's personality, temperament and constitution. It typifies our immediate, instinctive reaction and shows how we present ourselves to the world.
If you want to get a free chart that list the sign for all your planets go to
http://www.astro.com